Holiday Miracles
by CoolDiva
Summary: Can Kimberly succeed in reopening Jason's heart? Two-parter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers aren't among my earthly possessions._

**I felt the urge to do a Christmas ficlet, so, here it is. As mentioned in the summary, it's a two-parter. Hope it's decent.  
**

* * *

**Holiday Miracles**

Jason Scott- whom was sleeping- groaned and mumbled as someone tugged on his arm insistently. All the thirty-three-year-old man wanted to do right now was sleep as though he'd never slept before. But, evidently, that wasn't going to happen. His eyes opened slowly and stared at a sweet, young face. His brown-haired, green-eyed, six-year-old daughter Amber.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," she said, climbing onto the bed.

Jason yawned, then, turned, sat up and stretched. He rubbed at his eyes, then, looked at his daughter again. "All right, princess. Just give Daddy a minute."

"Okay," she chirped, playing with a lock of her hair.

He looked over at the clock. It was barely seven. Amber had always been an early riser. '_I wonder if she'll still be a morning person in high school_,' he thought with a short chuckle as he got out of bed. "I'm gonna head to the bathroom, baby. Why don't you go wait in the kitchen?"

"Okay," she said, hopping off the bed. "Daddy, do you think Mommy's having breakfast right now?"

Jason's foggy brain cleared up quickly and completely and he tensed as that familiar, sharp pain filled his heart. He gave his daughter a half-smile. "Maybe she is, princess."

"Maybe she's having French toast," Amber said- referring to her own favorite breakfast food.

"Yeah. She did love it," he said, nodding.

He'd met Jade Matthews ten and a half years ago and they'd married eight years and three months ago. They'd been happy and very much in love. They'd had a great family, great life... but, it'd all come to a horrific end three years earlier when Jade had been killed in a car crash... on Christmas Day. Jason hadn't been the same about the holiday since.

'_It'll be three years tomorrow_,' he thought, closing his eyes. Yeah. Christmas was tomorrow. '_I wish I can get in bed, go back to sleep and wake up in the new year_.' But Amber loved Christmas and he wanted her to have a good one. It didn't matter that he was pretty sure he'd never be into it again. His daughter's happiness meant everything to him.

"Daddy, you can't sleep while you're standing," Amber said with a giggle.

'_Sleep_?' he thought, confused. Then, he remembered his eyes were closed, opened them and smiled at her. "Hey, your dad can do anything, remember?" he said.

"Uh-huh," she said happily, then, she hurried out of the room.

Jason exited as well and began heading for the bathroom. He suddenly thought of the party Rocky and Katherine DeSantos- whom had been married six years- would be having tonight and stopped in his tracks. He was definitely in no mood for it. Especially when he thought of being surrounded by decorations, music, laughter, happy couples and their families... . But, he knew he'd be going anyhow- for Amber. Besides, they were his friends and he couldn't just _not_ show up. After all, he'd attended Tommy and Hayley's party last year and Zack and Aisha's the year before- even though he seriously hadn't been up for it either time.

He pictured Jade with her black hair, green eyes, welcoming smile and her sort of wacky sense of humor. She hadn't been the greatest cook, she'd had an almost worse problem with punctuality than Tommy and whenever she'd been wrong about something, she'd had a hard time admitting it. But Jade had been a fun-loving, caring woman that loved life and family... and holidays. He also loved that fact that she'd liked sports.

'_You have no idea how much I miss you, Jade_,' he thought as he resumed heading for the bathroom.

* * *

"Look, I don't have _time_ for this," Kimberly Hart told her ex-husband, Brian Mallone, in an annoyed tone that evening. She worked as a fashion buyer. After leaving the store, she had come straight to Brian's to pick up their seven-year-old son, Kyle. She'd planned to hurry on over to Rocky and Katherine's, but, Brian had a different plan. The former couple stood in his living room- arguing. Kyle was currently in his bedroom, playing a video game.

"Try _making_ time, Kimberly," thirty-five-year-old Brian said. "I think I'm being pretty reasonable."

"Reasonable? You want Kyle to spend _all_ of Christmas with you!" she said incredulously.

"So it's fine for you, but, I'm a monster for wanting it," he said.

"What are you talking about, Brian? I've never tried to hog our son on Christmas," she said.

"Hog? I'm not trying to hog him. Kim, he lives with you. I get _visits _and phone calls. What's the matter with wanting him here-" he was saying.

"How can you even ask that? It's Christmas and you expect me to spend about zero minutes of it with him. And don't stand there and pretend like you can't see Kyle whenever you want," she said, glaring at him. '_He is unbelievable_.'

She and Brian had gotten together a little over eleven years ago and married nine and a half years ago. They'd divorced three and a half years earlier. It had been a case of love simply not being enough.

"Will you stop being dramatic? There's nothing wrong with him spending Christmas over here," he said irritably.

"We usually share, Brian. _Share_. Besides, he spent all day with you today," she said.

"Tomorrow is the day that actually counts," he said. "You know, there are a lot of people that don't even spend Christmas with their families."

"Brian, this isn't about some deep need to spend time with Kyle. This is about you wanting to play "Father of The Year" for that woman you've been seeing," she said.

"So, it's the "you don't really love your son" argument again," he said.

"I've never said that. I know you love him and so does he. But, it's no secret that you prefer a career to a family," she said to the corporate lawyer.

"I'm not the one that gave up, Kim," he said quietly. "I was willing to try and make it work."

"We both know that that was mainly because you needed a wife more than you wanted one. But, we're not talking about our marriage. We're talking about being fair. After Kyle has breakfast and opens his presents tomorrow morning, I'll bring him over and he can spend some time here- not all day and night. I really want him home with me for dinner because we're having Jason and Amber over. And-" she was saying.

"Oh. Jason," he said, then, laughed and shook his head. "Your 'special pal' Jason."

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Knock it off, Brian. You never had a problem with Jason's and my friendship and you don't now. You're just trying to be a jerk."

He stared at her for what seemed like a decade, then, sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair. "You're right. You're right. That was completely unnecessary and I'm sorry."

Kimberly nodded- knowing he was being sincere. "Don't worry about it."

"About Kyle... we'll do it your way. It _is_ fair. I don't know how I could've been nuts enough to even suggest what I did. Maybe you're right about my wanting to impress Erin," he said, looking embarrassed.

"Nothing wrong with trying to impress her, Brian. Now just isn't the right time," she said with a small smile. "You know you're welcome to have dinner with us tomorrow."

"Thanks, but, I'll be at my sister's," he said with a smile.

"Okay," she said, then, sighed. "I guess I'll get Kyle now."

* * *

It was now nearly two hours later and the DeSantoses' party was in full swing. The house was overflowing with Christmas spirit. But, of course, Jason was unaffected by it all. He stood in a corner watching everyone. He couldn't even wish he was enjoying himself. Maybe that was pathetic, but, he didn't care. '_I'll_ _try not to be a huge, wet blanket, but, that won't be the easiest task._'

He felt guilty about wanting to be home right now. These people were important to him. But, three years ago, something had died in him. He'd lost the woman he'd loved with all he had in him. The mother of his child. They were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together.

'_But she's not here anymore. How can she not be here anymore? I go to bed every night and wake up every morning... she's not there. Everywhere I turn, she's not there_,' he thought as immense sadness washed over him. It was dangerous to be thinking this way- especially here. But it couldn't be helped. '_I've gotta get out of here for a few minutes_,' he thought as Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want For Christmas" filled the room.

A couple minutes later, he was sitting outside on Katherine and Rocky's front steps- ignoring the laughter and joy coming from the inside. His desire to leave was getting stronger by the second. So was his _guilt_ about the desire to leave. Oh, yeah. He was in a fantastic mood.

"I think it's against the law to wanna ditch a party," a female voice said.

His head snapped up and his eyes widened. "_Jade_?"

A grin appeared on his wife's face. "According to my mom, yeah."

Jason couldn't believe it. Had he finally lost his freaking mind? "How- why- what's..."

"Hey, I'm just here to tell you that you're gonna find love again and the search is gonna be incredibly short," she said seriously.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: _Here is the second and final part of HM. Thanks again for the feedback. I seriously appreciate it more than any of you realize_.

* * *

Jason gaped at his wife. It was all he could do. She was standing right here in front of him and she seemed completely alive and real. How was this possible?_ Was_ he losing it? Truthfully, he shouldn't have such a hard time believing she was here- considering the fact that he'd been a superhero a long time ago. But, he still felt shock. Her words registered in his brain a few seconds later and a frown slowly appeared on his face. Love? He was going to find love again? "It's not gonna happen, Jade."

She sat down next to him on the step. "Yes, it will."

"Trust me- it won't," he said, looking at her.

"Jason-" she began.

"Jade, I'm not gonna fall in love again. I know that for sure," he said, then, lowered his voice a little. "What are you doing here?" Seeing her again was just... there were no words.

"I'm here because you need me," she said with a smile.

"But, I've needed you plenty over the last few years and you never showed up," he said.

"That's because you've never needed me more than you do right now," she said. "Jase, you're wrong about not falling in love again. It'll happen- sooner than you think."

"Jade, I know you're gonna know things before me since you're... . But, I still don't believe I'm ever gonna really love again. There's just no way," he said. He had seen other women, but, he'd never gotten serious. Had no interest in letting it go to his heart.

"You can't fight it, Jason. You're gonna be in love again and live a long, happy life. That's what's supposed to happen," she said.

"It's just so great to see you again," he said, smiling.

She smirked. "It's so great to see you too, but, not talking about it isn't gonna make it any less true."

"Jade, you're here, but, you're not. Not really. I don't know for how long and that's why I'd rather talk about how much I love and miss you. How much I wish you were here to watch Amber grow up," he said.

She took his hand and squeezed it. "I understand, sweetie. I miss and love you and our little girl more than you can imagine."

"I see you every, single time I look at Amber. Every time I hear her laugh, I hear _you_ laugh," he said.

"Remember when we found out I was pregnant?" she said.

"Like it was yesterday," he said.

"I was so happy. There were only three other times I was ever _that_ happy. When you proposed, our wedding day and the day Amber was born," she said with a soft smile. "Our daughter's lucky, Jason, because she has a father like you. She's gonna grow up to be an amazing woman."

"Definitely," he agreed. "She'll be as amazing as her mother was."

"Aren't you sweet?" she said, winking. Then, she sighed. "You've got a lot of love to give- so does Amber. That's why sharing it with a family is-"

"Jade, don't," he said quietly.

"I have to. You and Amber are gonna have a family-" she was saying.

"We _are_ a family," he said.

"You know what I mean," she said. "The family's gonna grow and you guys are gonna have the happiness you deserve."

"I don't-" he began.

"And it's gonna last. Tell your heart to get ready because its door is about to be unlocked," she said with a laugh.

"Jade-" he began.

"I'll always,_ always_ love you and Amber," she said, then, kissed his cheek and vanished.

* * *

Jason grinned when Kimberly opened the door to her house the next evening. He and Amber had just left his parents' and were now here for Christmas dinner. "Hi, Kim."

"Hey, Jase. Hi, Amber," Kimberly said, smiling.

"Hi, Aunt Kim," Amber said cheerfully. "Where is Kyle?"

"In the den. Why don't you two come on in?" Kimberly said, stepping aside. '_Jason's smiling- really smiling. He hasn't done that on Christmas Day in years. I wonder what's going on_.' After Amber had run into the den, Kimberly looked at Jason- whom was still all smiles. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Oh, man. Good isn't the word, Kim. I woke up this morning feeling fantastic for some reason. It's been a long time," he said.

"Well, I am so glad to see you like this," she said before hugging him.

"Yeah, it's great. Thanks again for inviting us over for dinner," he said.

"No thanks necessary. I love you and Amber," she said. They now stood in the doorway to the den.

"We love you, too. But, to be honest, I was sure I'd call you and back out," he said.

"So was I," she said with a light laugh. Not that she would have let him- as they both very well knew.

"But when I woke up this morning... I don't know. I've been looking forward to coming here all day long," he said seriously.

"That works out fine because I've been looking forward to seeing you guys all day long," she said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"All right," he said, nodding. "I've gotta thank you for something else, Kim."

"What's that?" she asked.

"I know you're the reason I'm in this fantastic mood. That's not a big shock, though. If anybody could manage to make me feel like this again, it's you," he said.

"I'd love to take credit for this, but, I don't think I'm responsible," she said.

"Believe me, Kim, you are. I can't explain why or how, I just know you are," he said, smiling.

"Daddy, you have to kiss Aunt Kim," Amber said.

Jason's eyebrows shot up. "What are you talking about, baby?"

"You two are standing under mistletoe! You _have_ to kiss. It's a rule," Amber said, grinning.

"Aww, don't," Kyle said, making a disgusted face.

Kimberly smirked at her son. "You'll feel a lot differently when you're older, sweetie."

"No way, Mom. No _way_," he said.

"It's a rule. They have to do it," Amber said.

Kimberly laughed as an unexpected wave of giddiness crashed over her. "You know what's weird?"

"What?" Jason asked.

"I don't even remember putting that mistletoe there- at all," she said. She honestly didn't. It almost felt as though it had magically appeared. A part of her felt it had... .

"Old age can be cruel," Jason quipped. He laughed when she gave him a playful punch on the arm. "Merry Christmas, Kim."

"Merry Christmas, Jason," she said, then, met his lips in a kiss.

* * *

**_Five Years Later_**

"Ooh, I have another one!" eleven-year-old Amber said as she grabbed a beautifully-wrapped gift from under the tree that joyous, Christmas morning.

"Hey! She has more presents than me. Shouldn't that be, like, a crime or something?" twelve-year-old Kyle said to his mother and stepfather- causing them to laugh. "I mean, I'm the cool one."

"I'm the cute one," Amber said, smirking. "Besides, it looks like you have more."

"You both have the same amount because you're equally cute and cool," Kimberly said with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom, but, you're not a big expert on cool," Kyle said.

"So true. Neither is Daddy," Amber said.

"Thanks," Jason said dryly, then, shared an amused smile with his wife. He and Kimberly had gotten married three and half years earlier. Also, Kimberly had given birth to their twin son and daughter- Jeff and Holly- eleven months ago. The babies were currently crawling around on the floor. The couple had found more happiness than they knew what to do with. It was just as Jade said it would be- and then some.

"I was hoping to get this. Thanks, Mom,'' Amber said, giving Kimberly a hug.

''You're welcome, honey,'' Kimberly said as warmth and love washed over her. A couple years ago, Amber had asked Jason and Kimberly if it would be okay if she called Kimberly ''Mom''. Naturally, they told her it would be more than okay. '_My family. I love these people so much it scares me_,' Kimberly thought.

''What's on your mind, Firebird?'' Jason asked in a low voice.

''You and the kids. I love you so much, Jason,'' she said.

''I love you, too, Kim. With all my heart,'' he said. ''You brought me back to life and I plan to thank you for that as long as we're on the planet.''

''I'll make sure you do just that,'' she joked. He laughed, then, they shared a sweet kiss. Kimberly stood. ''I'm gonna get some more coffee. Want some?"

"Sure," he replied.

She nodded, then, began heading out. After she'd reached the kitchen and refilled the coffee mugs...

"Hey, Kim."

Kimberly looked to her right to see Jade. Instead of gasping or gawking in astonishment, Kimberly smiled warmly. "Hi, Jade."

"I'm here because I felt now was the perfect time to say thank you. Thanks so much, Kim. You're always gonna be what Amber and Jason need," Jade said, smiling.

"Thank you for saying that," Kimberly said.

"No problem," Jade said. "Keep being incredibly happy."

"I will," Kimberly said. Jade smiled one last time, then, vanished. Kimberly stood still, smiling. Her smile widened when she heard laughter coming from the living room. She picked up the mugs, then, turned and headed out of the kitchen- eager to rejoin her family.

* * *

**Endnote**: _**Happy holidays, everybody! **_


End file.
